US11369104B2 - Pest trap - Google Patents

Abstract

A flying pest trap (8) includes an attraction section (16), an immobilisation section (12), a body section (10) adapted to retain the attraction section (16) and the immobilisation section (12), and a power section (20) adapted to provide power to the attraction section (16). The attraction section (16) includes at least one LED light source located behind the immobilisation section (12).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a flying pest trap and to an immobilisation section therefore.

A flying pest trap typically comprises a housing containing an attraction section, such as an electrically powered light source that emits UV light (usually in addition to visible light), and an immobilisation section, such as a glueboard (usually a board carrying an adhesive that retains the pests when they make contact with the glueboard.

The light source is typically chosen to offer the broadest attraction to the widest range of flying pests likely to be encountered.

The flying pest trap functions by attracting flying pests, such as insects, including various types of fly and moth, to the light source. When in the vicinity of the light source the pest will explore the area and come into contact with the glueboard and thereby become immobilised. The glueboard can periodically be replaced when it becomes loaded with trapped pests.

Efficiency and power consumption are factors that affect the cost of running a pest trap.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to address the above mentioned issues.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a flying pest trap comprising an attraction section, an immobilisation section, a body section adapted to retain the attraction section and the immobilisation section, and a power section adapted to provide power to the attraction section, wherein the attraction section includes at least one light source that is adapted to emit light through at least one opening in the immobilisation section.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a flying pest trap comprising an attraction section, an immobilisation section, a body section adapted to retain the attraction section and the immobilisation section, and a power section adapted to provide power to the attraction section, wherein the attraction section includes at least one light source located behind the immobilisation section.

The light sources may be located behind openings in the immobilisation section.

The location behind the immobilisation is taken with respect to a front face of an immobilisation section that is presented forwards to immobilise flying pests attracted, in use, to the pest trap.

The light source may be chosen for emitting UV light as a source of attraction.

The immobilisation section may include a glueboard as a means of immobilisation.

The immobilisation section may include a carrier, which may be translucent. The carrier may be adapted to receive the glueboard, preferably in rails thereof.

The attraction section may include LED light sources, which LEDs may be carried on a printed circuit board, PCB. The carrier may be adapted to have the PCB secured thereto. The PCB may be attachable to a rear of the carrier. The LEDs may, in use, transmit light through the carrier. The carrier may be receivable in a part of the immobilisation section, preferably in rails thereof.

The attraction section may include at least one light source located forwards of the immobilisation section; said light source may be a fluorescent tube-type light source.

The invention extends to an immobilisation section of a pest trap incorporating openings arranged to allow light from a light source to pass through said openings.

All of the features described herein can be combined with any of the above aspects in any combination.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be brought into effect, embodiments of the same will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a prior art flying pest trap;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a glueboard of a flying pest trap with a prior art peripheral arrangement of LED light sources;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a glueboard of a flying pest trap according to an embodiment of the invention with an array of LED light sources located in openings in the glueboard;

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a flying pest trap according to an embodiment of the invention incorporating the glueboard ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a flying pest trap according to an embodiment of the invention incorporating the glueboard ofFIG. 3 and an array of fluorescent light sources;

FIG. 6 is a schematic exploded perspective view of an LED glueboard cassette for use in the flying pest trap ofFIGS. 4 and/or 5;

FIG. 7 is a partial schematic perspective view of the LED glueboard cassette ofFIG. 6 being inserted into a body section of the flying pest trap ofFIGS. 4 and/or 5; and

FIG. 8 is a graph of light output from LED and fluorescent light sources respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Existing pest traps for flying pests, an example of which is apest trap8 as shown inFIG. 1 comprise abody10, animmobilisation section12 that includes aglueboard14 and anattraction section16 that includes one ormore light sources18a,b,c, which typically are chosen to output at least partly in the UV spectrum to attract pests, such as flies and moths. Thepest trap8 includes apower section20 that receives power from an external source and provides power to theattraction section16.

Effective pest traps combine both direct and reflected UV irradiance, to maximise output and attract flying insects. The UV is emitted directly to the environment from the light sources18a-cand also UV from the light sources18a-cthat hits theglueboard14 for example is reflected by the glueboard and then outwards to the environment.

Effective pest traps position the light sources18a-cas close as possible to theimmobilisation section12, especially theglueboard14. If parts of theglueboard14 are too far away from the light sources18a-c, they will not catch insects, or the effectiveness will be substantially reduced.

Light sources18a-care typically UV fluorescent tubes that sit in front of theglueboard14, ensuring as much of theglueboard14 as possible is ‘useful’ for catching flies or other flying pests.

If LEDs are used as anattraction section16 UV source, then due to their wiring requirements, they cannot sit in front of theglueboard14, because the typical point source of an LED cannot replicate the 360 degree illumination of a fluorescent tube. As a result, typically,LEDs15 are positioned around a perimeter of theglueboard14, as shown inFIG. 2.

There is a disadvantage of this arrangement, because it results in a significant ‘dead’ area towards the centre of theglueboard14 at which there is no illumination from theLEDs15, as shown inFIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration of UV-emittingLEDs36 according to an embodiment of the invention. TheLEDs36 are arranged in a pattern that may be evenly spread ‘behind’ aglueboard38, withappropriate apertures40 cut into the glueboard to allow light-emitting parts of theLEDs36 to allow UV irradiance to get to the front face of theglueboard38. Only someapertures40 are given reference numerals to assist clarity. EachLED36 is associated with anaperture40. Therefore, the use of at least oneLED36 protruding through theglueboard38 offers advantages in light spread.

The arrangement inFIG. 3 reduces and/or removes ‘dead areas’ in the illumination spread from theLED light sources36 on theglueboard38. The spread of light is shown inFIG. 3 to be much more even by the lack of dead spots in the light spread that is emitted by theLEDs36.

FIG. 4 shows aflying pest trap34 that incorporates theglueboard38 shown inFIG. 3 as part of animmobilisation section37. Theflying pest trap34 includes abody10 and apower section20, similar in functionality to those shown inFIG. 1. Thebody10 includes rails (seeFIG. 7) in which a glueboard is typically received.Light sources36 of anattraction section39 areLEDs36 arranged in a grid pattern on theglueboard38 that forms an immobilisation section of theflying pest trap34.

FIG. 5 shows an alternative construction to that inFIG. 4 and includes fluorescent light sources18a-cin addition to the LED light sources. The addition of fluorescent light sources18a-cprovides improvements in light spread when combined with theLEDs36.

FIG. 6 shows how theglueboard38 for either of the pest traps shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 hasapertures40 and is received in acarrier42 that includesslots44 to allow theglueboard38 to be slid into thecarrier42. Thecarrier42 is made of a translucent material, because theLEDs36 are located on a printed circuit board (PCB)46 that sits behind theglueboard38 and is secured to a rear of thecarrier42.

FIG. 7 shows how the PCB46,glueboard38 andcarrier42 are inserted into runner grooves orrails48 in a rear section of thebody10. The runner grooves are the same as those typically used in a priorart immobilisation section12 to receive a prior artstandard glueboard14, like that shown inFIG. 1. Thus there is advantageous use of an existingbody10 to implement the embodiment described herein. ThePCB46 is electrically connected to the power section to receive an electrical supply to power theLEDs36.

In use, the evenly spreadLEDs36 provide an even spread of UV light for attracting flying pests to the immobilisation section for immobilisation on theglueboard38. The glueboard then has a longer life, because the space on the glueboard is used more evenly and there is a reduced likelihood of sections of the glueboard becoming overloaded with trapped pests.

The use ofLEDs36 is also advantageous because there is no fade in light output over time withLEDs36 compared to fluorescent tubes18a-c, as shown in the graph ofFIG. 8 from which it can be seen that over a period of 12 months or so light output from a fluorescent tube may reduce by 25% or more, whereas no reduction is experienced with LEDs. The light output of fluorescent tubes18a-creduces significantly over time, which reduces the attractive power of the attraction section over time.

Attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (3)

The invention claimed is:

1. A flying pest trap comprising an attraction section, an immobilisation section, a body section adapted to retain the attraction section and the immobilisation section, and a power section disposed in the body section adapted to provide power to the attraction section, wherein the attraction section includes a plurality of LED light sources carried on a printed circuit board located behind the immobilisation section,

wherein the light sources are located behind openings in the immobilisation section,

wherein the light sources are UV light sources,

wherein the immobilisation section includes a glueboard, and the openings are provided in the glueboard by being cut into the glueboard,

wherein the light sources are arranged in an evenly spread pattern behind the glueboard, and the openings cut into the glueboard allow light-emitting parts of the light sources to emit light therethrough and thereby allow UV irradiance to get to a front face of the glue board,

wherein each opening of the openings cut into the glueboard is associated with a single LED light source of the plurality of LED light sources,

wherein the body section comprises a receiving portion, the printed circuit board being slidably attachable along the receiving portion to connect to the power section disposed in the body section,

wherein the immobilisation section includes a carrier including rails that receive the glueboard, and

wherein rails of the receiving portion of the body section slidably receive the printed circuit board and the carrier.

2. A flying pest trap according toclaim 1, wherein the carrier is translucent.

3. A flying pest trap according toclaim 1, wherein the attraction section includes at least one light source located forwards of the immobilisation section.

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